February 22, 2009

Participants:
Co-chairs: Jill Bussiere, Jason Nabewaniec, Budd Dickinson, Sanda Everette, Phil Huckelberry; Craig Thorsen about an hour and a half into the call.
Secretary: Holly Hart
Treasurer: Jody Grage

Staff: Tamar Yager, Brent McMillan

Cliff Thornton was not able to be on the call.

Facilitator: Charlie Pillsbury (CT), DRC
Guests: Wes Rolley and/or Linda Cree, co-chairs, EcoAction
Hilary Kane, Co-chair, AnmCom
Observer: Kai Schwandes GP(NC)

Abbreviations used:
AC = Accreditation Committee
ANM, ANMC = Annual National Meeting Committee
BAWG = Ballot Access Working Group
BRPP = Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee
BC = Black Caucus
CC = Coordinating Committee
CCC = Coordinated Campaign Committee
CG SC = Campus Greens Steering Committee
ComCom = Communications Committee
DC = Diversity Committee
DIA = Democracy in Action internet service
DRC = Dispute Resolution Committee
FC = Fundraising Committee
FEC = Federal Election Commission
GP = Green Party
IC = International Committee
LC = Lavender Caucus
NPWG = Nominating Process Working Group
NWC = National Women’s Caucus
PEC = Presidential Exploratory Committee
PCSC = Presidential Campaign Support Committee
SC = Steering Committee
SPWG = Strategic Plan Working Group
[Brackets denote editor’s suggested corrections. Some punctuation corrections done with no content change. -ed.]

AGENDA

I. STAFF REPORTS
a. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – Brent
Brent sent an executive director report today. Highlights include Brent working toward a staff meeting this week. He has been asked to re-open the description for operations director by Jody and Jason, will do this. Will be in office M-Th; travel to NYC on Friday, Green potluck Friday night, then attend US Basic Income Guarantee conference on Saturday w/Steve Schaferman and Jesse Johnson

New Office search: Brent has looked at a storefront in Mt Pleasant, left message with managers. Location on Columbia avenue storefront, planning to talk to real estate that represents that and other locations. C couple other leads will be followed up.

One outgrowth of American Citizens’ Summit is a proposal for a gathering this summer (Drew Johnson, Kent Mesplay) – Uniting Americans-Indigneous Transpartisan Gathering, in New Mexico.

Updating CCC presence on website, information was out of date. Jason and 2 active CCC members have been working on this.

Elections database stands at 77 candidates, and increase of 3. Primary in WI, 2 incumbents easily won primaries, 3 of 5 candidates will advance to general elections.

FUNDRAISING – Major donor check not yet received, likely to come this week. Sent follow-up to a targeted major donor. Also plan followup with another.

b. FUNDRAISING MANAGER – Tamar
See report that follows.

Tamar sent out an online appeal last Thursday. So far, brought in around $400. Still working out issues with tracking code, although donation function is working fine. Next direct mailing is being readied to go out early March; will include an insert about Green Pages. Has emailed about a third of the candidates’ lists. Empower brought in about $3600 in January. Their prospect lists are doing better than our lower donors. Direct mail ran about $7500 in January.

Attended several DiA seminars and webinars, met with someone from DiA. Their program serves well for our needs except for one item; she is still exploring DiA capabilities. More information about how DiA tools work, use with state party lists.

c. OPERATIONS DIRECTOR – Emily
Emily asked for clarity about when she should be on SC calls; also asked for a job description, because some aspects are no longer clear, for instance fundraising and merchandise email blasts – is a merchandise email blast a fundraising or outreach issue?

Phil raised the question of having an approved job description now no longer considered finalized; the SC should have been alerted as to any issues before now. Jason agreed, the job description should be considered approved, any changes would go on from there. Brent noted that the SC had approved the job description on the last call, but he had been asked by Jody and Jason to address some items. Emily explained that she had spoken only to Jason; her understanding is that Brent would go over the job description with her before sending it to the SC, but then found it had already been passed by the SC. There were several questions about how it had developed and the need for clarity about various tasks. Jody suggested adding a sentence referring to tasks as needed. Brent asked to set up a formal meeting with Emily this week to go over the description, as passed, and submit to the next SC call a revised job description. He will try to get that to the SC by this Thursday night.

Emily asked if she would need to wait two weeks for a contract. Jody replied that job descriptions are now included in contracts, and stated she would send a new job description to the SC after Brent sent his revision, and the SC would consider to approve by next Sunday.

II. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jody
Suggestion of which bills to pay off now, including Red Sun Printing; re-imbursement for SC travel to Chicago last summer. Accounts payable – $48.7K; state sharing – $16.5K; other earmarked funds – $6.5K as of end of December.

Jason asked for clarification about a loan adding to the existing loan to pay Empower, whether that had been done. Jody sent in her own money considered, as a loan to Empower.
GPUS has $4500 in outstanding loans (to Jody and Budd). Jason pointed out this is not handled anywhere in our fiscal policy, whether we have taken out another loan – apparently not – how we go about notifying the NC. Budd believes this was appropriate, as the amount was authorized in the amount approved by the NC. Jason asked if it is typical to pay bills out of a personal account. Holly suggested funds should go to through the GPUS account.

III. VOTING QUEUE – Holly
EcoAction – Water Paper; EcoAction co-chairs Wes Rolley and/or Linda Cree may call in to resolve questions or concerns regarding some of the directives involved with this proposal.
Wes Rolley, EcoAction co-chair called in to respond to questions. EcoAction has revised their proposal to address concerns about directives that could not be mandated; added wording to show that GNC directs EcoAction specifically to work on this issue. Jill and Phil both stated there were still concerns about some of the directives and clarity, advised including some of the material in directives that in portion offering guidelines for candidates. Budd asked that it be made clear in the Resources section that the EcoAction Committee is the primary resource for implementation; we don’t have staff or other resources for implementation. Wes agreed that these edits could be made. Phil said he found the proposal confusing, unclear as to what was being asked or needed. Wes stated that others who had been consulted did not find it confusing. Holly proposed that edits be made and sent to the SC; assuming approval, it would be sent to the voting queue the following Monday, 2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote. AGREED.

AnmCom – 2009 national meeting proposal
AnmCom co-chair Hillary Kane will call in. AnmCom will most likely ask to have the discussion period extended by one week, while they explore the possibilities of different dates. The result may be an amended proposal with different dates; the same proposal continuing; or, an amended proposal with several options. AGREED to extended discussion by 1 week.

GSCC, GHCC elections. Phil stated that there are 9 available seats on the GHCC; 3 confirmed nominations. 7 available seats on GSCC; confirmed 7 nominations.
Nominated for GHCC:

David McCorquodale (Delaware)
Ann Link (New York)
Matthew Lavery (New York)
Nominated for GSCC:
Anita Wessling (Arkansas)
Paul McFarland (Arkansas)
Gloria Mattera (New York)
Chris Lugo (Tennessee)
Ron Hardy (Wisconsin)
Deb McFarland (Arkansas)
Josh Krekeler (Ohio)
IV. Old Business
a. Personnel – what is left to review or resolve from last call? No real update. SC re-affirmed the position stated in the message Jill sent out to the SC.

b. Forum Managers – update;
No update. Holly will contact current FM’s for a report. Jim Coplen and Audrey Clement have said they would be willing to do this.

V. NATIONAL MEETING
There has been some interest in the possibility of having the SC election online. Holly explained two ways this could be done with the technology we have. Phil objected to a system where people could see the vote unfold as it’s taking place. Jody expressed a concern that online election might affect attendance at the meeting, and suggested a minimal registration charge for any delegate who would be voting.

VI. PORTFOLIOS
International Committee – concern raised about IC. Jill reported that the IC does not feel they need to submit P&P[‘s for GBNC review, but if the GNC passes a proposal stating that committees grandparented in need to do this, the IC will comply. IC co-chairs’ terms have expired; election is going forward with 3 nominees (Steve Herrick, Marnie Glickman, Justine McCabe). Consensus has been reached on a proposal for a statement concerning Gaza. 3-person elections and nomination committee. Jill stated that Mike Feinstein has contacted each state and feedback says that he has challenged membership of some of the members. However, Craig reported that the IC rules stipulate that members have a certain term-limit, and Mike may have been asking about people listed as members with expired terms. IC co-chairs have replaced him, seeing his actions as going beyond his duties. He is now calling on SC to put a halt on all IC actions until they submit and have approved new P&P’s via BRPP. Phil stated that Mike was trying to follow the rules, but they are contradictory. SC declined to task BRPP with writing P&P’s for the IC, noting that BRPP may assist committees with this; agreed that IC, under their current rules, go ahead with their election, then submit their existing P&P’s to GNC for approval. SC agreed with this assessment. Jason noted that the SC could also put out the existing IC P&P’s to the GNC as housekeeping rules.

Accreditation Committee – Craig noted that the co-chairs have both resigned or have expired terms. It was agreed that the co-chair whose term has expired can go ahead and conduct an election.

2/22/09
Holly Hart
Secretary, GPUS

NEXT CALL – Sunday, March 8, 2009; 8:00 p.m. ET
To return to the Minutes Directory.

Minimally edited and HTML formatted by Charlie Green